A telephone conversation took place between National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. During the conversation, key aspects of deepening traditional interstate cooperation, which is successfully developing on a bilateral and multilateral basis, were discussed.

At the beginning of the conversation, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev exchanged congratulations on the upcoming Novruz holiday, addressing the best wishes to the peoples of the two countries. The parties emphasized that in the current International Year of Peace and Trust, this holiday takes on special significance, reflecting universal human values that are more relevant than ever, TDH said in a statement.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed his full support for holding important international forums in Uzbekistan this year, such as the Central Asia-European Union and Central Asia-Gulf Summits, as well as the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

Particular attention was paid to the upcoming meeting of the heads of Central Asian states and the leaders of the European Union in Samarkand on April 4. In his recent interview with the Euronews TV channel, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of the first Summit of this format for the further development of cooperation between the region and Europe. In this regard, the parties expressed their readiness to actively work together on the agenda, program and draft documents that are planned to be adopted following the summit. Currently, the diplomatic agencies and specialists of the two countries are working intensively to finalize the texts of the Joint Declaration following the First European Union - Central Asia Summit and the Declaration of Intent. Deepened Cooperation in the Sphere of Critical Raw Materials.

The Turkmen side also plans to take an active part in the International Conference "Central Asia in the Face of Global Challenges: Consolidation for Common Prosperity", which will be held on April 4-5 as part of the Samarkand Summit. Experts and heads of relevant government agencies of Turkmenistan are actively working on the draft Concept of "Green Development" of Central Asia.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed to hold a detailed discussion of all topical issues during the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers of the EU - Central Asia format in Ashgabat on March 27 to prepare final decisions for the heads of state. He expressed the opinion that the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan, as the host country of the Summit, could take a key role in coordinating all issues related to the preparation of the meeting of the presidents, in active interaction with the Foreign Ministries of other countries in the region, which will be the key to a successful and productive event. Turkmenistan expressed its readiness to provide all possible support to Uzbek partners in this regard.

The next important topic of discussion was the preparation for the international conference “Year of Peace and Trust: Development of International Activities for the Sake of Children” to be held in the city of Arkadag on March 29, organized by the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship. The head of the Khalk Maslakhaty noted that the conference is planned to consider key issues related to children's health, inclusive education, the role of the family in upbringing and provision of social assistance, and expressed hope for the participation of a representative delegation from Uzbekistan in the forum.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Turkmenistan for its proactive approach to solving pressing problems of our time and effectively building interstate relations on a bilateral and multilateral basis. He emphasized his confidence that the unification of efforts and close coordination of joint actions will contribute to the sustainable and stable development of not only the two fraternal neighboring countries, but also the entire Central Asian region as a whole.

ORIENT